/ TV Shows and Business Ethics

Reality TV can affect social corporate responsibility in a positive and surprising way; as evidenced on the CBS program, Undercover Boss.

When I sat down to watch one of the November 2010 episodes of the television show, Undercover Boss, for the first time, I expected that it might be kind of funny. I was expecting to see a company's CEO bumbling around, unable to do the tasks he was asking his employees to perform.

I thought I might also see a boss catching his employees goofing off, or some managers abusing their authority. I was surprised to see a leader who ultimately used his experience in a way that enhanced the company's social corporate responsibility.

Undercover Boss Visited Lucky Strike Entertainment

The episode that was on the evening I tuned in was the Lucky Strike episode. Steven Foster, CEO and co-founder of Lucky Strike Entertainment donned a wig, grew some stubble on his chin, and put on a black t-shirt and some glasses. He then walked into his business and tried his hand at bartending, serving, maintenance, and running the control desk. It wasn't very funny at all. It was moving.

Mr. Foster tried his hand at the same jobs his employees do daily. Okay, he dropped a couple of drinks; which was a little bit funny. He didn't just do the work, though; Foster listened to the employees. He listened to their dreams, asked questions about their lives, and paid attention to the things in need of fixing at the Lucky Strike facilities.

Undercover Boss and CSR

CSR, or corporate social responsibility, encompasses a range of ethical business practice. Green business and sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and responsibility to both internal and external stakeholders are all part of the business ethics mix. The way Undercover Boss, a TV show created to entertain the masses, affected customer social responsibility in the Lucky Strike Entertainment Center episode was in the area of labor relations.

Foster seemed to pick up immediately on the areas of the business in need of improvement. Employee talent was not being used to its full advantage in some cases. The break room was not really a break room at all, just a wide board in a closet-sized area. (If you haven't seen the episode, imagine a grown man balancing against a board while holding his food and trying to eat and chat with a pretty girl.) Computer programs were also not being utilized to full advantage, making extra work for already harried workers.

TV and Labor Relations

The Lucky Strike episode of Undercover Boss rounded out with Mr. Foster revealing his identity to some surprised employees. Foster made changes to both the company, in the form of getting a proper break area instead of a wide board for sitting in a closet; and arranging for the computer programs to coordinate information. He also made changes that can potentially change the lives of the workers he met during the filming of the show.

Giving employees a chance to thrive on the job and in their personal lives generally improves morale, increases employee retention, and lends a better reputation to the company. I was surprised to find a a story about business ethics in a TV show; surprised and entertained.